Michael
Security Concerns
Our group of 20 People rented 2 villa's in Tuscany from Parker Villa's in June 2016 for a 2 week vacation. The Villa's were Villa Salvucci and Villa Santa Fina. Initially , we were dealing with a representative from Parker Villa's who recommended Villa Salvucci and Santa Fina. Later on in the process we decided to consult with A different representative from Parker Billa's.Both representatives thought the Villa's were a good choice for our group. On the third day of our stay we became aware of a Home Invasion / robbery in the middle of the night . This crime occurred during our stay and took place on the same property where we were staying . We were able to confirm the break in when we questioned the Office staff at Villa Salvucci. Many of our group became deeply concerned in regard to our safety at night . Another cause for our concern is we were Not proactively notified of the break in by either Parker Villa's representatives or the owners of the Villa's. Please when traveling to Tuscany be alerted to the possibility to home invasion and take precautions as we have become aware that this was not a isolated case. In addition during the 2 weeks while staying at Villa Salvucci we had very limited internet connection ,No T.V and had a washer and dryer that did not operate properly. As per Parker Villa's policy we contacted Parker Villa to report these issue's to them. We also spoke to a local Parker Representative in regard to the problems and the security issue. Unfortunately, The Parker Rep. Was not successful in getting the property owner to have the Internet operating during our visit. We found that our Parker Rep in Italy was trying her best get things corrected however, the local management at Villa Salvucci office were less than helpful. The lack of Internet was a significant inconvenience for many of our guests. Because of the problems our group experienced Parker Villa did allow us a credit of $1000 toward our total rental ( 8%). However, if we had been made aware of the lack of Internet and potential security problem in advance by Parker Villa's our group would have choosen a different location . Michael Bennardo
Response from Parker VillasSep 19, 2016
It is important to clarify that Michael was NOT the victim of a home invasion or robbery. The break-in he writes about occurred half a mile away at a holiday apartment complex we do not represent. We have been renting our two private villas for a decade without incidents of any kind. For nearly a quarter of a century, Parker has earned a reputation for its private portfolio of quality homes and unparalleled customer care while in Italy. Our area manager made a personal visit to Michael during his stay after expressing displeasure with the estate's delay in addressing his concerns. Parker learned of the nearby break-in from Michael and upon hearing he was troubled, our manager's immediate reaction was to ask Michael if he wanted to be relocated to another property. The answer was No. Michael expressed how much the group was enjoying the villa and did not want to leave. Our manager confirmed the clothes dryer did malfunction. The delay in repair was due to awaiting delivery of a part. To rectify the situation, the estate owner purchased and installed a new dryer by the start of Michael's second week. There was no problem with the washing machine and no mention of any issue with the TV. It was verified that the villa's internet antenna had been damaged during a recent storm. The antenna was repaired. However, the service provider reset the system on two subsequent occasions due to continued overload. The description of this particular villa specifically states the property has a cellular connection suitable for checking emails and can accommodate up to two devices within 10 feet of the modem. These limitations were also reviewed at the time of booking and a written notice was mailed with the travel documents. Despite all these disclosures, multiple users in Michael's party continuously accessed the internet simultaneously for streaming movies and online gaming resulting in constant breakdowns. The villa's management offered Michael's entire party the reception office's internet and unlimited access to a printer which his party readily used. As the month of June wore on, within a two week span a series of burglaries were reported in this locale and across neighboring counties. As it quickly became apparent this was more than an isolated incident, Parker Villas issued a Travel Safety Bulletin to guests of these areas and continues to do so. As of early July, there have been no further incidents. Local authorities report their increased presence has been an effective deterrent. For any present and future guest concerns regarding security while abroad, we encourage you to call us with your questions. We will gladly personally review suggested precautions to take while traveling. We consider the personal security of our guests a foremost priority and for this very reason we never publish addresses or GPS coordinates online. We have urged our villa owners to install alarm systems and additional safety measures. Both villas in question are now fully alarmed.